A Brief Overview of Bridge Cranes in the UK

Overhead cranes or bridge cranes are generally used in the industrial sector for heavy lifting activities. The main component of the lift crane is the hoist which travels along the bridge made by two parallel runways. In the UK the cranes are usually called Goliath Cranes when the bridge is supported by legs. The legs supporting the structure could be two or more and they are usually fixed to the ground.

The two main types of cranes are rotary and electric overhead traveling cranes. As suggested by the name the first type is powered by electricity and the second is designed in a way to reach further and put exert less pressure on the structure walls. Sometimes a trolley can be moved along a single heavy bridge to allow for the crane hoist to move around the factory or industrial complex. 

The cranes were invented in the year 1830 in Germany and have been mass produced since the early 1840’s. In a few years a manufacturer in England invented a new mechanism that allowed the cranes to lift even heavier loads. The design now included a winch powered by an electric motor and the capabilities of the machine were thus expanded. The cranes were also later powered by steam with the help of a cotton rope pulley attached to a stationery engine on the ground. This was first done by John Ramsbottom in the year 1861. The design of the cranes have evolved greatly over the past few decades and the performance and efficiency has improved greatly. They are now used in many industries around the world.

Manufacturing is the primary activity that these cranes are used for. Metals such as aluminium, copper and steel are refined in factories with the help of these cranes. The overhead crane lifts the metals and handles them throughout the process. The hot molten raw materials are lifted by the cranes and poured into the furnace. The cranes also lift the finished metal up after it’s been in the furnace and holds them there till they cool sufficiently. Even the job of loading the material into the trucks is conducted with the help of these cranes.

Besides this, the cranes are also used in the automobile industry to lift parts and hoist them into place during production. For regular maintenance of equipment such as press rolls used in the production of paper in paper mills a similar sort of crane is used. The drums used to dry the paper sometimes weight many tons and are made of thick layers of cast iron. The drums are used regularly in the paper production process and a crane must be used to hoist the drum up and place it in the mill initially.

An overhead crane and Bridge cranes in general, are now designed to lags very long, with some lasting almost a decade or more. They are assembled and shipped in a single housing and generally require minimal maintenance or up keep. The website of the Hoist manufacturers institute now lists the life spans of different cranes adjusted for loads carried and hours worked rather than actual basic life spans.